


From Memphis To Merle, With Love

by rachelarcher



Series: The Walking Dead Drabbles [5]
Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: Best Friends, F/M, Implied Daryl Dixon/Rick Grimes, M/M, Past Lori Grimes/Rick Grimes, Underage Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2019-01-01 04:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12148410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelarcher/pseuds/rachelarcher
Summary: “Daryl made it.” Rick grumbled. Not meeting Merle's eyes.“I can see that.” Merle snorts. “Let me look at ya Darlinna. Been a decade.” I reluctantly let Rick go relieved when he trails behind me and march towards Merle. “You got big on me kiddo. Missed you something fierce.” He still looks like Merle to me. Black curls and tanned skin. His right hand and forearm past his elbow missing. I touch the bandage tentatively.





	From Memphis To Merle, With Love

I should of knew better. A phone call from King County could only mean one damn thing. Merle was in trouble again. I waited all day. Till damn near bedtime to check the message. Memphis already got Atlas and Storm to bed. Both were tuckered out no doubt from school. It was almost out for summer for the second grader and kindergartener. Ten years separated me from home. I met Memphis in Arizona of all places. When she fixed my bike. I loaded it into her old beat up Ford and let her lead me for a while. Memphis ain't a Dixon. Can't bring myself to marry her. Even if she is the mother of my children. 

When I finally punched the button on the damn machine it ain't Merle who speaks. It's a voice that I know well. One I never thought I would hear again. Richard Grimes. The one person in the world who can and will break me. God I loved that preachers son. I wanted his whole life. I wanted forever with him. We planned to run away, at sixteen but he never met me…

“Daryl I know it's been a long time. I am calling about Merle. He um well there is no easy way to say this. Daryl he had an accident on that dumb bike. You know the one you and him used to work on. He lost his arm. He is stable right now. But he could use a… he could use you. I could too.”

I woke Memphis up before I could change my mind. “Baby. Get up. Pack us and the kids up. We need to go to King County.” I can hear the cracks in my voice.

“What's your brother done now.” She grumbles as she stretches and wiggles out of bed.

“Motorcycle wreck. Rick called.” I watch her face contort. Then she nods. Memphis isn't one to play second fiddle. 

“We have to get a move on. I know if Rick called you something must be bad wrong with him or your brother.” She leaves me to ponder that. There was something off about Rick’s voice. He sounded defeated. Broken alone. Like the fight had been knocked out of him.

Memphis has us packed and ready to go before I even get off the phone with my boss at the repo station. Memphis works at the garage too. So Jeffrey Negan was far from pleased.

“I swear to god, Atlas if you don't get your feet off my seat I am going to make you daddy stop the car. Then i'm going to beat you. Storm honey are you ok?” Memphis is turned around in her seat, glare on her features.

Atlas is almost nine. Storm is about to be six.I didn't ever think I would be comfortable with a woman. Much less a stranger. But she has her own marks. She was real bad burned in a car wreck as a child. I thought Daddy's belt was bad… but it has nothing on acid from a car. Once she has her point across she locks eyes with me. She looks resigned.

As the everglades giveaway to long stretches of road or ocean my mind wonders back to Rick. Ten years is a long time. I left King County when I was 16 to his 17. Merle was 24. Memphis beside me is only 23. I took her from her family when she was 14. She got pregnant at 15. I guess we all pay for those little sins along the way. 

God. Rick. He was the one. I swear. Even now when I think about him. Which is at least twice a day. I can't help but understand the statement “he was the one that got away…” because he was. His father didn't like his friendship with me. Old man Grimes would have blown a headgasket to know we got up to more than lifting hubcaps for my older brothers business. Wonder if Rick became a cop or not. Know how much he wanted to. Ain't seen Merle in a month of Sundays. Last I heard he was opening a salvage yard in King County.

“We gonna talk about this Dar?” Memphis finally asks me. About three hours into the drive. I grimace. Knew this was coming. Love Memphis to death but the girl can read me like an open book.

“Which part?”

“Daryl Jackson Dixon.”

Damn my middle name has been spoken. I frown. “Merle got hurt is all. Rick wanted to be a cop growin up. Reckon that's cop work. Notifying next of kin.” Maybe she will let me get by with that.

“You still love him.” Damn woman.

“Well yeah. Merle is my brother.” I try to evade her actual statement that earns me a snort and an eye roll that would rival any teenagers. “Him too. He was my first love.”

“Good.”

Well that threw me for a loop. “What?”

“I know you love me Dar. I do. But I am more like the sister you never wanted. Let's be honest here. We've had sex twice. We have two kids. Ain't exactly hard for me to figure out why. If he is still in love with you too. And I bet he is. I'll be your surrogate.” That makes my heart and stomach do weird things. We always dreamed of a houseful of kids. Damn Memphis for being so damn… Memphis.

“Thanks Mimi.” I mutter. “Guess we will head to King County General.” I decide. She has no input she's never been there. She's asleep before we hit the Georgia line. And as we move past Atlanta my mind settles on the last time I was in King County.

Preacher Rhett Grimes was giving it his all. A long winded sermon on homosexuality and its deviant siblings. His mind was set on saving the infected. Like being anything but straight made you a flesh eating virus. Like they were the walking dead. What Rhett didn't know was that Rick and me were hidden out behind the church, lips locked, hearts thundering loud.

Might have stayed there and out of trouble if Gareth Monroe hadn't spotted Rick’s cowboy boots. Life might have been different. I slipped away before Rhett ever knew it was me for sure. But Merle came round letting me know that Rick was on house arrest basically. 

I wake Memphis as we hit the county line. “Main street.” I tell her as she peers out the window. “There is the garage.”

I don't bother to read the sign but she does. “Grimes and Dixon Salvage and Towing.” I hit my breaks and back up. Eyes wide as I read it over again. “Thought you said he was a cop.”

“Thought he was.” I growl at her. Still somewhere between concerned and worried.

“Guess you got that wrong. Honey.” She giggles to herself. “I believe he might still love you.” I chose to ignore her. Otherwise I might vomit. The hospital isn't far up the road. And to my dismay she's hell bent on taking the kids in. I'd rather leave them both sleeping. They are much too big to haul into the hospital. As I prepare to voice that. She wakes Atlas. And nods her head at Storm. “Your daughter is all you, hoss.” Atlas takes his momma's hand and she disappears inside.

Storm takes some convincing but I get her to wake up enough to walk beside me. Inside the sliding doors Atlas and Memphis are waiting for me. She offers me a smile. “I am here if ya need me.” Like she knows I am already trying to figure out the correct way to greet Rick. A kiss on the lips might be out.

To my surprise little Maggie Greene is the first nurse we encounter. “Daryl goodness you look good!” Then she is hugging me. “Rick is going to eat you alive. Have you seen Andrea and the kids? Merle married Rick’s younger sister. You knew that right?” I didn't. My face must show that. “And Rick was married to Lori, but she ran off with Shane left him with two kids. Rhett is dead. My husband Glenn is the preacher now.” 

That's a lot to take in. So I nod at her. Memphis seeing I am about to lose my composure steps forward. “Little Maggie right? Dar has told me about you following him around nonstop. Though I think he has you stuck in pigtails and braces. I am Memphis. His best friend and the mother of his children. This is Atlas. And this is Storm. I am happy to be here. Can you take us to Merle?” Memphis has Maggie's eyes wondering over all of them.

“Right. Rick is with him.” Maggie takes off then with Memphis a step behind. Atlas and Storm holding her hands. 

“You can put us in waiting.” Memphis offers. “Dar will get us if we are needed.”

Maggie pointed them down a hall. “Second door on the left. Come on Daryl. He is in 112.” Maggie hooks her hand in mine and leads me on. “Rick said you didn't answer. Guess after Rhett you probably stay away from all King County numbers.”

“Something like that.” I mutter. The hospital creeps me out. My momma died here. Same room too. Rick knows. Maggie probably doesn't. She is giving me a look now. 

“Rick got shot.” She has us stopped a few feet from the door. “Not long after you took off. Rhett shot him.” It is news to me. “Kept him from the police academy. Rhett shot Rick then himself. Guess he couldn't live with… Well… Knowing it was you who made his son happy. Rick married Lori when he got out of the coma. Him and Merle opened up the Towing.” She must see the whirl of emotions on my face. “Need me to get Memphis?”

“No.” I barely manage. “I am going in now. You go on and meet my kids.” I tell Maggie. I wait till she has walked away from me. Then I count to ten in my head. I have to do it five more times before I can open the door.

The lights are off. Merle is stretched out on a bed. Machines hooked up to him. He is fast asleep. Its the man stretched out in the window that draws me in. Jacket tucked under his head and boots kicked off. I know those curls. Merle is breathing steady. I secure the door behind me. And don't know which direction to go. 

Waking up Merle means having to talk to Rick with an audience. I almost go ask Memphis. But then my hearts pounding in my ears and I am walking to Rick. His beautiful face has evened out. His jaw is still as chiseled as ever. One of the curls I have always adored is in his face. My hand moves without permission. I brush the curl softly from his face. 

Soft blue eyes flutter open as he slowly blinks me into focus. “Hi there preacher.” It is an old joke. And just as lame as when we were kids.

“Daryl.” He shoots up before I can step back and our chest are pressed tight. His arms flung around me. Suddenly I am once more relieved that Memphis ain't the jealous kind. I hug back just as tight. His face is pressed into my neck and all I wanna do is kiss each of those tears I feel slipping down the column of my neck away.

When he finally pulls back I can't help it. I crash my lips onto his. Suddenly a twister of memories is on me. The first time we kissed was here too. The day momma died. Rick was all tangled up in me then too. Telling me everything would be right.

It takes him a moment to kiss me back. But then its like nothing changed. Like ten years hadn't passed us by. He has a tight grip on me as he nips my bottom lip. I groan into it. I ain't ashamed to admit it. His tongue laps at me. Familiar and strange in equal parts.

“God I missed you.” Rick panted as we parted.

“Ah missed ya too shouldn't have left without ya. There is so much ah…” He raises a hand to silence me. So I shut up.

“We were kids and stupid and scared.” Rick is hugging me again. “That answering machine threw me for a loop.”

“Oh Memphis? She's my best friend. Got a couple kids with her.” Suddenly Rick looks like I've burnt him and he is drawing away from me.

“Don't.” I whirl around to see Memphis I the door frame. “He loves you. Told you.” She is grinning at me. “Rick Grimes nice ta meet ya. But uh. I guess I've just been holdin yer place. Just came ta tell ya Maggie is gonna run us up to Andrea's house.”

“Ok.” I nod at her. She winks at us both then turns away. She is out the door and gone before I realize that she is probably tired still. She worked almost sixteen hours before I forced her out of bed.

“Ya married to her?” Rick asks when I turn back to him. I shake me head and kiss him again. He is still addicting. I'm pushing against him now. Until he hits the wall with his back. A resounding thump and then he yelps when I nip roughly at his lips. I've missed him. Missed his solid body.

“Get a room.” Merle growls out. We jump apart like teenagers caught and my mind recalls when Merle caught us.

_I was stretched out on my bedroom floor. Rick on top of me. His lips in mine. Our hips moving in rhythm. Rick teaching me to chase the thrill and the heat. The pair of us chasing the quickly coming orgasms. We came in a sticky mess in our pants. Still panting and grinning at each other when Merle burst in. Drunk and boy did he beat us both. After that I snuck out when the time arouse._

“Daryl made it.” Rick grumbled. Not meeting Merle's eyes.

“I can see that.” Merle snorts. “Let me look at ya Darlinna. Been a decade.” I reluctantly let Rick go relieved when he trails behind me and march towards Merle. “You got big on me kiddo. Missed you something fierce.” He still looks like Merle to me. Black curls and tanned skin. His right hand and forearm past his elbow missing. I touch the bandage tentatively. 

“Missed ya too Merle.” I finally manage. “And Rick, missed him.” This time I feel Rick squeeze my wrist. 

“Ya came back for his voice. Made im call ya.” then Merle is out again. Sleep and drugs overtaking him. My brother and the mother of my children are both manipulative, and wonderful people.


End file.
